For an innovative software or hardware project, public funding can cover a significant share of development costs. The main programmes in Türkiye, what makes a strong application, and the role of a consultant.
What is R&D and grant consulting?
R&D and grant consulting is support in shaping an innovative project around the right funding programme, writing the application, following the evaluation, and handling reporting and management once the project is approved. A good consultant translates your idea into the language the programme expects without changing its technical core.
TÜBİTAK programmes
TÜBİTAK runs industry-facing programmes under TEYDEB (Technology and Innovation Support Programmes). The best known are 1501, the Industrial R&D Projects Support Programme, and 1507, the SME R&D Start-up Support Programme; both opened calls again in 2026. The BiGG programmes for entrepreneurs are part of the same ecosystem. Call schedules and conditions change, so always check the current call text.
KOSGEB and other sources
KOSGEB runs support programmes for SMEs’ R&D, product development and innovation projects. Regional programmes of development agencies — such as DOKA for the Eastern Black Sea — and EU research and innovation programmes such as Horizon Europe are also sources to consider, depending on the project.
What makes a strong application
A clearly defined problem and a credible claim of innovation; measurable goals; a realistic work plan, schedule and budget; a capable team to deliver it; and potential for the results to be commercialized or widely used. Evaluators look for a convincing answer to “can this really be done, and why does it matter?”
Common mistakes
Describing technical innovation like a product brochure, failing to separate R&D from routine development, not justifying the budget, not linking work packages to each other and leaving the application to the last day. Administrative steps such as institutional pre-registration, which must be completed before the call closes, are also often missed.
After approval
Approval is where the work begins: periodic technical and financial reports, documenting expenditure, tracking work packages and change requests. Involving the technical team in reporting from the start both speeds up the process and keeps the funding flowing smoothly.
What sets WaveArc apart
We write proposals as the engineering team that will actually build the project, so the technical plan is feasible, not fiction. You can see the process on our R&D & Grant Consulting service page.
